2 Ways to Teach
by independen-and-happy1373
Summary: A gang leader with high standards of morality has to deal with somebody from her past. i added chap 13!Finally! The fight! pleas R and R! This is an RxA if you were wondering
1. chapter 1: And it starts

Disclaimer: if I owned ranma why would I write fanfiction?  
  
Soun sighed again as he reached for his tea. The house was depressingly quiet to his noise-accustomed ears. It had been 8 years since the house had been filled with the noise that was his daughter and her fiancé, but the silence still seemed....out of place. He put down his tea, untouched and cold, and reached across the shoji board. This time another accompanied his sigh, that of his best friend who at the moment was a giant panda...  
  
Nodoka walked through the halls of the mansion quickly. She had good news to tell her lady, and her lady sure needed it. Nodoka had been serving "Lady" for a little more than 3 years and every year around this time her lady became so detached and...cold was the only way to describe it, that it was all Nodoka could do not to start crying when she was around her. It had been a couple of days though and she should be gettin over it soon, and this would certainly help.  
* Lady helps so many people, why can't she just have the happiness she deserves?* she thought. Nodoka reached the end of the hall and opened the large double doors at the end, after placing her hand on a scanner, which read her fingerprints and unlocked it electronically.  
She strode through the door placing the manila folder back under her arm from where she'd moved it to scan her hand. She walked through the foyer and walked into a large room which had a huge chair, bolted to the wall, that was more like a throne than a chair. What would have surprised any one unaccustomed to Lady's home, was the huge lioness that was currently draped over the "throne." As it was, the utterly savage sight was familiar and beloved to Nodoka. Looking around the room would prove that the lioness wasn't the only one, and the number of lionesses' perched on various pieces of furniture around the room, was enough to form a small feline army.  
Nodoka walked forward, knelt, and stroked the lioness on the throne's massive head.  
"Take me to her please," she whispered to the lioness. The lioness looked into Nodoka's brown eyes with her own amber eyes, and then stood up in that lazy, graceful, and deadly way only cats seem to manage.  
* Only cats and Lady can be that graceful, and yet seem not to care," thought Nodoka and as she listened to the lions silent walk " Thank Kami that Lady is not my enemy. I wouldn't live to see another dawn, with henchman so fiercely loyal."  
As she thought about it that she realized that it didn't only apply to the lions; If Lady had asked her to kill someone, she probably would've done it with question. Of course the question wouldn't be necessary, Lady would explain why the death was important. She felt that if anyone was going to be involved in taking away something as important as life they should know why. Nodoka's thoughts trailed off as she reached another set of double doors.  
They'd reached the gym that Lady used to train herself and her women. On the way there Nodoka and the lead dominant lioness, Tanto had picked up two more lionesses and together all four of them walked into the gym. The lionesses dispersed to find themselves niches to settle into, and Nodoka watched and waited for Lady to finish the kata she was performing.  
*She's beautiful. Like a dancer, so smooth and graceful* Nodoka thought as she watched Lady. Suddenly the kata turned into a savage kick and a punch that had the ability to shatter cinder blocks into specks of dust.  
* No, not a dancer. She's too savage, too fierce to be a demure little ballerina-* Nodoka's thoughts broke off as Lady finished up and turned to her.  
"So Nodoka, what do you have to report that couldn't wait till our meeting tomorrow?" She smiled but it wasn't the genuine smile Nodoka wanted to see. It was better than the day before though, and that was enough for now.  
" There's a new fighter in the city Lady. It's a she and according to our women in the forces she's quite formidable. She came from Okinawa to find the Crime King, The Blue Lion. Mai, you remember her, the chief of the  
department says she's made it her personal mission to find you."  
Lady let out a short wry laugh. Like her smile, it wasn't as genuine as normal, but it would have to do.  
"Oh Nodoka, how many times must I tell you? Call me Michiko! Are they still going on about that crime king thing? Well at least the female reporters know better.  
This fighter, you've got her name, picture, stats? Is there any chance she'll join us?"  
"How can you even ask if I have her info?" Nodoka asked jokingly as she pulled out the manila folder she'd put inside her black leather jacket flipping her short hair in mock indignance.  
"Michiko!, Nodoka, Michiko!" she replied pretending to be stern.  
* She's getting her sense of humor back, that's good.* Nodoka thought  
Michiko opened the folder and pulled out one of the photos paper- clipped to it. She brought it closer to inspect it in more detail and then drew in a deep ragged breath. Then she placed the photo back in the folder, slowly, as if she was afraid of it, and if she made any sudden moves it would attack her. One of the lionesses', Tanto, sensing her mistress' discomfort, sauntered up and rubbed her head against Michiko's side. Michiko stroked the cat, but it seemed mechanical and as she petted it she said rather shakily  
" Let's continue this in my rooms."  
Nodoka followed Michiko as they left the gym and walked down the hall again, stopping at a hidden door, small and inconspicuous, nothing like most of the double doors in the gigantic house. The only thing that made it noticeable was the retina and hand scanner that allowed access into the room, but that too was hidden, disguised as a thermostat and if you didn't know it was there you wouldn't have spared it a second glance and continued on. Michiko flipped the "thermostat" to the scanner side and put her hand on it and looked into the retina scanner. After a couple of seconds an automated voice said  
"Welcome Michiko. Password?"  
" Blue lion" Michiko said in that same detached, shaky voice.  
"Hey." the door opened and the 2 women walked in. " You've got some messages. Want me to play them?" the same automated voice said but now that it had confirmed its occupant it seemed a lot more real and less mechanical.  
"No." was Michiko's curt response. Nodoka looked at Michiko. She was wearing the loose, drawstring pants, and the tight shirt, today both in black, she always wore when she was training. Her long, thick, blue-black hair was tied into her customary training braid and she was bare foot. Her usually tan skin was rather pale, and her blue eyes seemed...withdrawn was the only word Nodoka could think of. Her hands, she noticed, were clenched and trembling.  
*What could possibly make Lady THIS upset?* She thought, thinking of her normally calm, controlled, and commanding Lady. They walked through a couple of rooms; the door which at most one would've expected to contain a broom closet, actually hid a suite of rooms, many for the lions and a couple for Lady, bathrooms, a kitchen, bedrooms, an office, a weapons room...It was a very large suite, but tiny compared to the whole house. When they reached the bedroom, Michiko sat down on the bed and Nodoka on a chair. For the amount of money Michiko obviously had by the rich decor of the house, and the sheer size of the house itself, her own personal suite was suprisingly plain; sparsely decorated.  
For a while Michiko just sat and stared at her folded hands, and Nodoka, getting uncomfortable, and still worried, fidgeted and looked around, wondering why Michiko's own rooms were so plain.  
"Do you know how old I am?" Michiko asked, startling Nodoka, and when she started shaking her head no, she continued:  
" 25. I'm 25 years old. Almost 26, only 2 more months. All those years, wasted. What have I accomplished? Nothing. Nothing at-" Michiko was silenced as Nodoka burst out shocked:  
"That's not true at all!" You're Michiko Sasaki-the queen of crime and Rumiko Hayasaka the city's most eligible bachlorette-slash-BILLIONAIRE. You've gotten so many women of the streets, helped them fight back against their abusive boyfriends, husbands. You've gotten rid of drugs, and petty crime. You're wonderful! You're beautiful, you're smart, you're rich, and you're one of the nicest people I know! You're one of the greatest fighters in the world if not THE best! -"  
"Ah but Nodoka, if only you knew..." She sighed dejectedly.  
"What about LOVE? Bachellorette I am, and there's a reason I'm single. After 8 years, I still fear this man." She said as she drew out the picture from the folder.  
"The only man who ever conquered me..." She whispered, frightened again, as if the photo were a real person, and not just a picture. She drew in a ragged breath and touched the photo with her fingertips.  
Nodoka was baffled.  
"But La-Michiko," and as she looked up Nodoka continued:  
"THAT, is a picture, of a WOMAN. A very...ROBUST woman. I'm afraid you've lost me."  
Michiko held up a photo.  
"Tell me. What do you see Nodoka?"  
" I see a red-headed, pigtailed, female, martial artist. Why?"  
Michiko drew in another ragged breath.  
"Because things aren't always what they seem. You see a buxom, feminine woman named Ranko. In reality he's a 26 year old man. A "man amongst men" as he's still alive. The last time I saw him he...he could defeat me without even trying. You see Ranko, I see Ranma. It doesn't matter, what I accomplish, how good I am at ANYTHING. This man will always be better. Fighting, cooking, acting, anything. I've never been in his league even back... even when.... You call me Lady Nodoka. Lady, and Michiko, The Crime Queen, The Blue Lion, Rumiko....but it's all a LIE, Nodoka, a LIE. Everything is a lie. You think I'm some spectacular superwoman, but I'm NOT I'm NOT." Tears built up in her eyes but refused to fall.  
"Michiko.." Said Nodoka softly and slightly shocked at the outburst from her normally relaxed and confident Lady.  
" NO, that's NOT MY NAME!!" she screamed before crumpling into a small sobbing heap. Nodoka hugged the crying woman and said softly:  
"I don't care WHAT your name is, you will ALLWAYS be my Lady."  
"Michiko looked up, still crying and said:  
"I am glad my present is so full of people like you, who don't care about my past. But how could I let my past catch up with my present?" She put her face in her hands and started sobbing again: "Why, why, did you have to come find me?? Why couldn't you just let it GO?!" After about 10 minutes she stopped rocking on her knees and fell asleep in Nodoka's arms. Nodoka put her in her bed and walked out after taking a last look at the tear stained face of her Lady.  
"Take care of her," she whispered to the lions before shutting the door and walking out. As she walked through the suite to the hall a determined look came over her face. * Sh-HE won't find you Lady. We won't let him, we'll protect you, like you protect us. Maybe he COULD defeat you but that was 8 years ago, and you were only 17, 2 years younger than I am now. Besides what army does he have? The cops? Right. All the female ones are with us and the rest are incompetent. Let him come, he'll get what he deserves, let him come."  
  
Across the city in one of the police stations a young woman was discussing a certain crime lord with the police chief.  
"In the last 3 years the rate of crime has actually decreased a great deal, as has, in huge percentages, the rate of rape and prostitution. Homicides have been decreasing in huge quantities also, bu-"  
"I don't get it Chief. Why did you call me down here? To get rid of someone helping in a job your department obviously isn't good enough to handle by itself? Seems kinda dumb... a SMARTER guy would've taken the credit and let things be." The woman interrupted cheekily, blatantly insulting her host, but not caring in the least.  
The heavy-set man, who'd obviously had too many rendezvous'' with the donut shop, glared and continued.  
" As I was saying. While the RATE of crime has gone down the CALIBER has increased exponentially. Before it was just people being mugged on the street, vandalism, drug-circulation, gang activities, kidnapping, drive-by shootings. As far as we know these activities have pretty much stopped. They just don't happen any more. No-one's buying pot anymore, and no-body's killing people from sniper's nests. And when they DO happen, on very rare occasion, they have nothing to do with this " Blue Lion." Instead, wealthy aristocrats, Tokyo's finest, are being robbed, sometimes of MILLIONS of dollars, in jewelry, technology, even cold hard cash. He and his operatives are breaking into safes, guarded by men, cameras, even lasers. But the guy manages to get in anyway, grab the stuff and disappear. And it's not even just from people's houses. He's finding codes to accounts only their owners know, and he's transferring money out of the bank. Jewels too, BANK safes. This guy's breaking into BANK safes, and those are watched by cameras and top guards. We don't know how he does it. These people have the best security money can buy. And another thing. A guard has never been hurt. Not a single one has even had a bump on his head, but they haven't seen anything either. A lot of the time they'll be asleep, which in itself is weird, because these guys are really experienced. We had them tested for sleeping drugs and they came up negative. We've ruled out inside jobs, because to pay off the amount of guards that would need paying off would cost more than even Rumiko Hayasaka could afford. There's just too many of them and they cost too much to pay em all off. The only thing we can think of is the air ducts, but we've had to rule that out too, sometimes the air ducts are too small to fit the people, or whatever it was they stole. We called your BOSS, not YOU, because we need help bringing him in." The chief leaned back in his chair, folding his arms, and looking smug.  
The woman sat back in her chair puzzled and frowning.  
"Tell me chief. What do all these "aristocrats" have in common? I'm sure you looked that up before you called my BOSS for help."  
The chief, looking a little uncomfortable but trying to hide it, fidgeted as he answered:  
"All of them are RUMORED to have made their money in slightly.... UNORTHODOX ways, and/or of making rather large.... contributions to certain people..."  
At this the buxom redhead burst out laughing.  
"So all we have here is a self-imposed vigilante who knows his stuff huh? Interesting."  
"It's NOT funny!!" The infuriated chief yelled.  
"You've forgotten who you're talking to." The woman said sharply, all traces of humor gone.  
"Forgive me Miss. Yamamoto." He said bowing his balding head.  
"Ya, whatever" she replied, returning to her relaxed state of draping over her chair and swinging her legs.  
"So what about the rape and stuff? What happened there?"  
"Not much to tell. Suddenly the seedier parts of town cleaned up. The whores disappeared of the streets. Rape cases went down to 0. We think it's 'cause of the program we've been insti-"  
"Bullshit. It's this guy and you know it." Yamamoto interrupted again and then watched the chief seethe in silent anger through half- lidded eyes. She smirked and went on  
"What about the name?"  
"Huh?" was the Chief's intelligent reply.  
Miss Takahashi sighed and rolled her eyes.  
"Blue L-lion- not exactly something every mother would name her son," she stated  
"Oh. um, we don't know why he's called that, he just is"  
Miss Yamamoto raised one eye skeptically  
"Do you even have pictures of this guy?" she asked condescendingly.  
" No, but we DO have some tapes. Here" The chief pulled out one of the drawers on his wooden desk and pulled out a 4 tapes and then handed them to Ms. Yamamoto  
"Watch em at home." the Chief said, telling Ms. Yamamoto to get out, none too tactfully.  
She snorted in a very unlady like manner and replied:  
" My pleasure. The stink of donuts and stale coffee is too strong. Later "chief"" and then walked out of the station leaving the chief wallowing in his fury and indignation.  
  
Authors note: this is my first fanfic so feedback is really appreciated. Constructive criticism is welcomed, flames are not, so pleez don't send any. They're mean, pointless, and unhelpful. Please review. C = 


	2. chapter 2: Michiko

Michiko woke up in her bed to see one of the lionesses' staring at her. She smiled on reflex but it was a sad smile.  
*Why do I feel so shitty?* she thought to herself. And after a couple of seconds the memories came flooding back. Her eyes watered immediately but didn't fall  
I won't cry, I won't cry, I WILL NOT CRY!!! I lost control last night. O god what did I say?!?* She thought to herself.  
Suddenly there was a tentative knock on the door.  
" Co-come in!" She called.  
Nodoka stuck her head in tentatively.  
"Michiko?" she asked softly.  
"No!!" was the vehement response, and then softer  
"No.that's.that's not my name Nodoka. I stole it. It..it belonged to my mother."  
"Why?" Nokoka asked.  
"why what?" was the response.  
"Why did you have to take someone else's name? What was so bad it forced you to hide who you are."  
"Y-you don't wanna know Nodoka. It's not an everybody lives happily ever after kind of story." She replied, her voice catching.  
Nodoka simply looked at her, one eyebrow raised skeptically  
"*sigh*. Ok, I was the youngest of 3 sisters, born to my parents: Tendo Michiko and Soun. My mom died when I was 6. My eldest sister, Kasumi, took her place, She was a gentle, kind girl, and was a very good surrogate mother. My second sister, was an amazing entrapaneur. She could take practically any situation and make a profit, quite a useful talent, considering MY passion." She said  
"martial arts?" Nodoka guessed.  
"Hai. My life was one long fight, In the mornings I'd get up and go to school where she laughed as she reminisced believe it or not, I'd have to fight off 40 boys every morning."  
"Why?! How old were you?!" Nodoka asked, as indignantly as if it had happened to her.  
" 2 reasons: teenage boy hormones and an idiot named Kuno . And it started when I was 14 because Kuno made a speech saying how only somebody who could defeat me could be my boyfriend, not that I'd date any of the losers anyway. He ended up marrying my second sister a few years back. Maybe you've heard of him. Kuno Tatewaki?"  
Nodoka gasped.  
" But doesn't that make your sister THE NABIKI TENDO???" she asked in awe.  
Michiko laughed.  
  
"Yep, very intuitive. My older sister is named Nabiki. Anyway. I was on the volleyball team, the baseball team, in the drama club.and I was the BEST, totally undisputed. But then, when I was 16 my father gathered my sisters and me around and made an announcement. His friend Saotome Genma, and his son Ranma were going to move in with us and one of us would marry him. We were furious of course. Well..I was furious. Nabiki just said" I hope he's cute" and Kasumi said " O, I hope he's older than me." Of course I WAS the only one who hated guys." She said  
"Well of COURSE!! What with what you had to deal with every morning!" She said in indignation.  
Michiko smiled and continued her story:  
" Well they arrived. And.they weren't what we expected: A short teenage girl and a giant panda. I was overjoyed, Nabiki was really peeved and Kasumi just said " Oh my!" I asked the girl, who's name turned out to be Ranma, if she wanted to be friends. She. she was really happy about it. Later we were in our dojo sparring and-"  
Nodoka cut in  
"Dojo? Your family owns a dojo?!"  
"Oh yes, Tendo Dojo of Anything Goes, or Indiscriminate Grappling. I'd spent almost half my life in that building. Anyway we were sparring, kempo, She beat the shit out of me. Well she didn't actually hurt me, but she could have wiped the floor of me, trust me!."  
Nodoka's eyes were wide. She'd never even HEARD of a fighter better than Michiko-Lady-whatever.  
" Don't look so surprised Nodoka. No matter how good you get, there will always be somebody better than you" At this Soun's daughter looked down sadly.  
"Anyway, later that night I wanted to take a bath. I walked in but it was.. already occupied.  
"By who, Ranma? So what? You're both girls." She trailed off as she saw Michiko shaking her head with an eyebrow raised cynically.  
"No, No Nodoka we weren't. We AREN'T. Saotome Ranma was most DEFINITLY a man."  
"But-you said_"  
" I know. He's a Jusenkyo boy Nodoka. He's cursed and THIS-" she said and held up the photo.  
"THIS is his cursed form." And then Michiko continued to tell Nodoka about her hectic engagement to one martial artist, Saotome Ranma.  
  
Authors note: What do you think? Don't worry, you'll find out later why Nabiki's so famous. Thank you everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. If you have any feedback, suggestions, constructive criticism I'd be happy to hear it! Thanks again everyone! 


	3. Chapter 3: Ranmachan

He was running after her, screaming her name, pleading with her to stop, begging her to listen to him. Suddenly she turned at a corner; he ran after her, years of experience telling him what would happen. She'd disappeared, she was gone, evaporated into thin air. He screamed her name and beat his fists into the ground  
  
"Akane!! AKANE, NO!! I LOVE you, I'm sorry I never said it, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!!! COME BACK!!".  
  
Ranma woke up sweating and gasping with tears in his eyes. He was used to the mix of pain, and longing, and the fear of loss that came with this particular dream, but the familiarity of the dream did nothing to ease the awful emptiness filling his whole body.  
  
Pushing aside the midnight blue silk sheets, he sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed, knowing he'd get no more sleep that night. He looked at the digital clock's glowing numbers: 3:30 am. Groaning he stood up. In the 8 years and 3 months since he'd been 17 Ranma Saotome had grown up.  
  
His shoulders were broader, he'd grown taller, and the muscles layered on his bones seemed to be made of steel cables. They weren't pronounced, and obvious like a body builder; rather, they were well-toned. Not distinctive and gross-looking, simply THERE and perfect, to any woman you asked. His hair was still jet-black and shiny, dressed in it's customary pig-tail, perfecting his image.  
  
He'd spent the day looking at sites that had been hit by the "Blue Lion." He sighed and decided he should just do some more work, as he had nothing better to do.  
  
Walking stiffly he grabbed the 4 tapes on the table next to the heavy oak doors, pushed said doors open, and walked outside. He pushed the doors shut and listened to the automatic bleep that signaled the door had been electronically relocked. Then he strode down the dark corridor and opened one of the 3 doors at the end. After a second the automatic lights blinked to life, and a large gym was revealed.  
  
Ranma put the tapes down, and then leapt onto some bars, turning and leaping and spinning, never missing a beat or a bar, never staying still, and never showing the pain he felt inside. After 20 minutes, and several complicated katas, he picked up the tapes he'd put down, and walked to the end of the gym. There he pushed open a door into what looked like a v.i.p lounge. He pushed one of the tapes into the vcr built into the wall, along with an extensive entertainment system. He sat back on one of the couches and watched the movie intently, with rapt attention. After all, what better wake up is there than 20 minutes of intensive martial arts training, and the rush of adrenaline flowing through your veins after remembering the one you loved, and lost...  
  
Ranma watched all 4 tapes. And then he watched them again, and by the third time he knew for sure. None of the tapes were real. Oh the Chief hadn't tried to trick him, he was too stupid to be able to, and too smart to try. The Chief and his department hadn't even realized it. The tapes had been wired into the camera system. They'd been taped BEFORE the actual robbery, and then wired into the system, afterwards so that while the actual robbery was taking place the guards just saw what the cameras normally saw. Then, after the fact, they saw these tapes, and thinking that the robbery was taking place, rushed down to collect whatever valuable it was they were paid to protect, only to find and empty safe, or vault, and no sign of the robber.  
  
" Brilliant." Ranma whispered to himself. These thieves weren't only amazingly clever but supremely cheeky. If the police had looked closer they'd have noticed that there were small, but obvious and distinctive differences in the tapes and in real life. For example: one of the tapes showed a bank robbery. The bank in the tape was an exact replica of the real one, except for one tiny, yet big difference. The floor pattern, while exactly the same, was switched. It was the exact opposite of the one in the real bank. And as he re-watched the tapes he noticed more differences: the safe door opened from the wrong side, the walls, instead of being sky blue, were a lighter, baby blue, and on the last one, the busts of various important historical figures were facing the wrong way.  
  
Ranma chuckled wryly and without humor.  
  
*Well, at least the guy's got a sense of humor. And now I know that he's used his money to buy himself a big house* he thought. He took the tapes out and walked back to his room, typing in the code on the entrance pad. The doors bleeped and Ranma walked in. He strode over to a large dresser and put the tapes away, and pulled out a photo album.  
  
He spent the rest of the night looking at the photo album, contemplating the fate of the fiery, young, woman in the pictures, asking himself where it had all gone wrong, and failing to come up with a good answer.  
  
*Yes! The last donut! Come to papa baby-* the unfortunate, overweight, cop thoughts were cut of and he looked next to him in fury, looking for the owner of the hand that had snatched the donut from under his..only to see a red-headed girl inhale it at a super-human speed.  
  
"You should be careful chief. I won't always be here to save you from those, evil, fatty, sugar-laden donuts." She continued, cheekily licking her fingers.  
  
"YOU-you!!" He spluttered.  
  
"Well, with that attitude I'm not sure I'll even bother helping you next time!" She said in a hurt tone. The Chief, by this time was turning red in his rage.  
  
"You know, that tomato red is a very unattractive color on you. And if you don't stop baring your teeth at me, I won't tell you what I found out."  
  
" You didn't find anything!" he barked.  
  
" Now why would you say such a thing" "Miss Yamamoto" replied pleasantly,  
  
"We had teams of specialists look at those movies. MUCH more qualified than YOU. There is NOTHING you could've found that they haven't.' he responded, still infuriated about the donut.  
  
"No? I guess you right. So you already know where the Blue Lion lives then? Ok I won't bother telling you information you already know.." Ranma- chan said walking out of the kitchen, flipping her hair impertinently behind her.  
  
"WHAT?!" the chief yelled, his cheeks shaking, and the rest of him too, as he ran (well.sort of ran) to catch up with his would-be-informant,.  
  
"O! you mean.you DON'T know? WOW! I thought your specialist team would've already told you this for sure!! O gosh! This means.you actually NEED something from me doesn't it?.." She trailed off, acting like the bubbly, preppy-girl her cursed body looked like. The chief looked ready to explode.  
  
"You are being paid and you are OBLIGATED to tell me what you know, RIGHT NOW!! I WILL call your boss!!"  
  
Ranma sighed and looked bored.  
  
"You do that. Me? I'm gonna go find some criminals who need apprehending." With that she walked away and out of the station and continued down the street and then hopped onto a roof. Suddenly, her senses tingling, she spun around and caught the dart aimed at her neck. She unwrapped the note to it and unfolded it.  
  
"Gotcha" She whispered, reading aloud. And then she leapt and twisted and jumped to avoid the storm of darts thrown at her from many directions. She landed on one knee and a foot and crouched down, seeking her attackers' chi.  
  
"Urk" she grunted as she keeled over. From her limited vision on the ground she saw several pair of feet approach her. One of the feet ducked down, and Ranma saw a face, obviously female, with amber eyes, and a mask of a black lion covering her face.  
  
"Ranma Saotome. Apparently rumors of your ability have been greatly exaggerated." She said putting one hand on Ranma's chest and using it as leverage to pull the dart from her throat.  
  
"Did you actually think we'd miss on accident? Heh. Pathetic." The black-lion masked lady continued as she stood up, put the dart in a pouch at her hip and rolled Ranma over with a foot, so that she could see all her attackers. There were 5, all dressed in black with long ponytails, dark hair, and black-lion faced masks, showing the mouth and eyes. Around their eyes, there was black make-up, so it looked like their eyes were actually part of the mask.  
  
"joo gr u?" Ranma said in attempt to speak.  
  
"hm,hm,hm" the woman laughed, tight-lipped.  
  
"We should kill you now, you know." She said, speaking softly but angrily. Her words were drawn out and spoken with deliberation. " You deserve it. But one thing the lion has taught us is to always be honorable. So we leave you, intact, and with your life, pathetic and disgusting as it is." At this point the woman crouched down again and lifted Ranma's head by her collar.  
  
"Listen closely to my warning. Leave the Blue Lion alone. Go home, you pathetic, imposter-wench. Go back home to your mother, and stay out of our way. Next time I see you, I won't be so lenient, and you'd be fully mobile, so I wouldn't hesitate to kill you, or at least beat you until you wished you were dead. Make sure.we don't meet again." She whispered the and then shoved her back to the ground. She turned around and began to roof-hop away, the other "lionesses" following her. And even though she couldn't move , she could still see. And what Ranma saw, blew the lionesses words right out of his/her mind.  
  
They were using Anything-goes martial arts.  
  
Authors Notes: Thank everybody who reviewed me SO much, I REALLY appreciate it. If you have any questions go ahead and ask. Also can someone help me with my paragraphs? Sometimes, they just get completely taken out, and I'm left with this really huge, one paragraph thing. Does anyone know WHY or how to fix it? Thanks. My sn is ReB197666, and im always on (pretty much) so pleez feel free to write to me. 


	4. chapter 4: Enter Nabiki

Nodoka stood outside a huge 20-story glass building, and then pushed through the revolving doors. She went to the front desk and asked for Nabiki Tendo. After showing her i.d. proving her identification as " Akane Saotome," and confirming that she had an appointment, she walked to the elevators and when she was inside pushed the lighted button for the 20th floor. The doors opened and she walked into a large office, the bright sunlight coming in from the full-length windows momentarily stunning her.  
  
When her vision cleared she saw a very well-kept woman sitting in front of her behind a large, intimidating, polished, wooden desk. The woman, whom Nodoka assumed to be the legend, Nabiki Tendo, was dressed in a no-nonsense red business suit, with matching, vibrant red lipstick, that went very well with her dark, short hair, and large, coldly, and accusative eyes. On her left hand she wore an obviously expensive wedding ring and around her neck, she wore a short, silver, necklace with 3 pearls. Underneath the desk and unknown to Nodoka she was wearing strappy, stiletto-heeled red shoes and in her lap, lay a small handgun.  
  
Nodoka bowed and said:  
  
"Mrs. Tendo?"  
  
"You. are NOT, Akane Saotome." She said unemotionally and deliberately, pronouncing each syllable as if it was an unwanted chore. She stared at Nodoka as if she were a bug she was pinning to the wall.  
  
"No, and I'm sorry for the deception, but- I need your help."  
  
"You. You need MY help." She continued in the same voice, but with disgust added to the mix.  
  
" And what? You expect me to give it to you? I'm not one to forget a slight, and TRUST me. Your deception is a huge slight in my eyes. I'm also not to do favors for free and you can't possibly have ANYTHING I want. Both of these factors are a disadvantage to you and I'm afraid that as I have no reason to help you, you're just going to have to deal with your little problem without me. Now. I'm sure you can find the elevator by yourself." Then Nabiki bent back over her work and started to sign papers with an obviously expensive fountain pen.  
  
Nodoka had come, prepared to be polite, and maybe do a little groveling, but this! She was infuriated. And having been training under her mistress for as long as she had, meant it was not a good thing for the subject of her fury. However, today her mission was different, and so required special ammunition.  
  
She strode forward and slammed a picture down underneath her hand onto the desk, which while not causing Nabiki to jump did make her look up quickly in anger and shock at her "guest's" audacity.  
  
"You want a reason?!? Here's a god-damn reason!!! Did you think I just looked you up on the web, saw that you had 2 sisters and said "gee, ya know, I bet that the younger sister disappeared a couple years back and by pretending to be her I could go see THE Nabiki Tendo. Gosh wouldn't that be cool??" She said the last part in a high pitched bubbly voice, acting like the idiot she was pretending to be. She continued, angrily and sarcastically:  
  
" I'm SORRY your "highness" but I just don't have THAT much of an interest in you. If you DIDN'T want what I have and what I know, you NEVER would have let someone named Akane Saotome in here. You want your sister. Don't you. You want to know where she is and what happened to her. And I know. ME!! Is that a sufficient reason to help me or not? Because if it isn't I will leave your uppity arrogant self alone and I will go home and you won't have to hear from me ever again!"  
  
A deaf, blind, mute could have told that Nodoka wasn't bluffing. And Nabiki was NOT a deaf, blind, mute. She was also extremely unpredictable and clever. Instead of hearing her beg to hear what happened to her little sister as most people would have, Nodoka instead heard the sound of a gun being cocked against her forehead.  
  
" You know. I think I CAN help you out. I'll let you live and you- *Nabiki yanked the picture out from under of Nodoka's hand*- will tell me where my sister is."  
  
Nodoka, apparently, was unpredictable to. Instead of cringing and agreeing like most people did with Nabiki, she simply smirked.  
  
" I'm from the city Highness. And I've known your sister for 3 years. Do you honestly think..that some weak, little, arrogant business woman with a tiny, pathetic, little gun can scare me?!?  
  
"It will do the job." Nabiki responded calmly and coldly as usual.  
  
Nodoka just smirked again before darting her hand out and grabbing Nabiki's wrist and twisting her hand up, so that the gun no longer aimed at her. The hold was extremely painful, and Nabiki knew from her husband, and the past, that trying to pull out from the hold would just hurt more, and probably break her wrist. So she did what anybody would do in the interest of self preservation. She dropped the gun.  
  
"Happy now?" She asked.  
  
"No. But it will do. Now as I said. I need your help. Are you going to help me or not?" She asked, releasing Nabiki's wrist.  
  
Nabiki sighed and rolled her eyes and resumed her normal bored/ you're an idiot look.  
  
"Obviously. What do you want."  
  
"Information. And in return? YOU'LL get information. Sound fair? If it's not, too bad. That's my offer, take it or leave it."  
  
Nabiki sighed.  
  
"Sit down already dammit. What do you need to know?" she asked and picked up her coffee and started to sip it. Nodoka sat in the hard chair and examined her hands.  
  
"...Did she love Ranma Saotome?"  
  
*cough* That apparently was enough to mildly startle Nabiki.  
  
" Ya. Ya she did. Is that it?" She asked harshly.  
  
" Why, why did she leave him? If she loved him I mean."  
  
"You obviously have not met Ranma Saotome. He..he wasn't the easiest person to love. And he had a lot of girls after-  
  
" Ya, I know, 3 fiancees, I got that much, I wanted to know why she left.  
  
" She couldn't handle it I guess. It just got too hard for her. I don't know. "  
  
" Just one more question...Did he.Did he love her?"  
  
" More than any of us ever knew, until it was too late. She was gone, and he.he couldn't stand it. She was his whole life. And when she was gone, we found out how important she was to all of us, but especially to him. He went crazy after reading her note and left, 4 months later, trying to find her."  
  
"note?.."  
  
"M-hmm. It said a lot to all of us. But to him. It just said. Ranma- if you ever felt anything remotely good about or for me.you won't  
come after me Ranma.  
-Akane His logic was, that he never DID feel anything remotely good about her. He was COMPLETELY in love with her, there was nothing remote about it. He's a cop now. Calls every couple of months to see if there's been any news and to check in.  
  
" I know. That he's a cop and all" She said when Nabiki raised a cynical eyebrow.  
  
"Right. My turn. What is my sister doing? I'm not going to ask you where she is, she obviously doesn't want to be found. She must have money to have survived all these years. Is she doing anything.compromising?" Nabiki questioned.  
  
" It really depends who you ask. To anyone normal? She's a fuckin heroine. You ask the cops? She's a psycho. It's all perspective." Was Nodoka's response.  
  
" I suppose, and your questions confirmed that she's NOT Akane Saotome huh. Look. I don't have any questions about my sister you could answer, and even if you could, I'd rather see her. However I doubt she knows you're here right? And if you came to her with me in tow, she'd probably kill you. It's never good to corner a wounded tiger. I'll give you a letter and a ride back to wherever it is you need. Here."  
  
Nabiki pulled out a letter from a drawer and handed it across the table. Nodoka raised her eyebrows in surprise that Nabiki already had a letter ready."  
  
" I'll give her the letter. I don't want the ride. You just want to know where I live. Also. I need some more help. Ranma's working on a case that is.very sensitive, and very important to your sister and me. Could you..distract him somehow? Call him home for some reason? Whatever you can do helps. "  
  
" Not for you. But for Akane. I'll do it."  
  
"Arigato, that's all I ask. Thank you for your time. By the way, you can keep the picture" Nodoka said and walked away towards the elevator.  
  
"Wait." Nabiki said and then bent over to scribble something on a piece of paper when Nodoka paused.  
"Here." she said holding out the paper.  
  
"When you go downstairs you'll be given a key, and then you can come and go freely up here without an appointment."  
  
"Thank you." Nodoka said taking the paper, and then turned around and left  
  
Nabiki looked at the picture of a beautiful, young, women with long, thick, midnight blue hair and picked up her phone.  
  
"Lina? Yes, I want you to have Mrs. Saotome followed. Yes she's coming down now. All right good." She hung up and then turned to look out across the city that belonged to her financially, one single tear falling down her iron cheek, in memory of the one flaw on her stainless reputation of always finding what she wanted, or ways to get it.  
  
Authors Note: Hi everybody. Thank you for the reviews again. I did try the double spacing, thank you, but now it took out my indents, so please forgive the lack of indentations. Any suggestions? Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you again and please email me at mandfmafia_7@yahoo.com if you have any ideas, or review, either way. 


	5. chapter 5: And they meet

Akane stood on top of a 60-story building and double-checked the compartment belt around her waist making sure she had all the equipment necessary to pull off this robbery. She hummed a cheery tune, as she made sure she had her glasscutters and enough powder to knock out the guards and show the lasers.  
"All right ladies, you ready?" she asked the other 5 women who were also checking their equipment. They were all dressed in black and covered from head to toe, so that not a single piece of hair could reach the ground to reveal their DNA. They all had black lion masks on and long gloves with sharp retractable claws on the ends. Akane had a gold and blue band wrapped around her arm, and the other girls had just plain gold. The most surprising part of their ensembles were the tails. The tails, also in black were obviously heavy, and swung around when the girls moved.  
A chorus of "yep's" and "all set's" and "ready! 's" were heard, and then one of the lions, revealed to be Nodoka by her voice said  
"See Lady? I TOLD you a decent hunt would do you good. You're even humming! It's good for you to move on. I mean he's just a MAN after all. Not worth your trouble. You don't need him!"  
Akane laughed but deep in the pit of her stomach she knew Nodoka was wrong. She WASN'T over it. The fact that she was on top of the roof about to commit just another felony was a testament to the fact she wasn't over it. That day, so many years ago....  
*No!!! Now isn't the time to dwell on the past. He did this to me. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.* She thought. And in the bottom of Nodoka's stomach, she also knew Akane wasn't over it.  
"Well ladies. Let's do this then!!" Akane and the others began to cut holes in the windows, big enough to get through comfortably and no bigger. They attached ropes to air conditioning units, and other stable objects and then rappelled down into the rooms inside.  
They crouched down and Akane blew some dust from a pouch in her belt into the air. The lionesses spread out and moved silently and swiftly towards their goal passing the sleeping guards on the way and removing them of their weapons. They reached the room together as a unit, working quietly and flawlessly together. They crouched down again and one of them pulled more powder from her belt and blew it into the room, revealing many lasers crisscrossing from the ceiling to the floor.  
"Naoko? Would you do the honors?" Akane whispered almost silently.  
Behind the mask, Naoko, the tech genius smiled, and even though they couldn't see it, all the other lionesses knew. She nodded, and pulled a little watch-like device on a chain out of her belt and fiddled around with it. The lionesses sat patiently and after a minute or 2 the lasers flickered and then, faded away.  
Suddenly Akane sniffed the air, as did the others. After a moment, the lioness crouched next to Naoko whispered:  
"Something is wrong."  
In response, and as if on instinct, the lionesses paired up back to back, with Akane in the middle. With 2 people watching the front and 2 watching the back, it was an almost perfect defense to move Akane in to grab the prize, a beautiful imitation panther, about a foot tall, with ruby studded eyes, and diamond claws. An ALMOST perfect defense.  
Suddenly the chi, the hidden aura they'd been seeking flared to life and another girl dressed in black dropped down onto Akane, who dodged to the right and avoided being attacked. Her assailant landed on her feet and dropped into a fighting stance. The girls, not for a second panicked or disoriented fell into an obviously well known attack plan their tales swinging.  
"Do you really want to do this? "  
"I doubt you could take one of us. "  
"Much LESS all of us."  
"The treasure is ours."  
"But that's not what you want."  
"Is it."  
Each statement was said in a cold voice, devoid of any emotion and right after the other, as if they knew what the others were going to say, before they did.  
"Knock it off Akane. I'm more scared of your cooking than these stupid intimidation tactics. That's more an Amazon thing don't you thing?" The person, obviously Ranma replied while smirking condescendingly.  
"None of us are named Akane." said one of the girls. Behind the mask it was impossible to tell who. One of the girls stepped up.  
"We're leaving. It would not be wise to see us again. We've tasted your chi. And to taste it again would be....unpleasant." She took 2 steps and took the panther off its pedestal. Then the 6 women walked out, the last one turning and hissing at Ranma when he began to walk out too, stopping him immediately.  
When they reached the ropes they attached themselves and climbed up, pulling the ropes up behind them and leaving Ranma looking up in sorrowful and angry determination. They began roof hopping, sometimes dropping 30 feet before jumping to the next roof. Suddenly they all stopped simultaneously, standing in a circle.  
"She's following us."  
"Any volunteers?"  
"She's MINE."  
"We'll go on then. See you at home." The others began to roof hop away, waving back at Nodoka, as she moved to find a place to lie in wait for her prey.  
A few minutes later Ranma came hopping after them. His/her instincts screamed at him as a chain came whistling through the air at his head. She ducked and then leapt as the chain swung under him.  
"I WARNED you!" Nodoka hissed.  
"I TOLD you, our second meeting wouldn't be happy, and that I wouldn't hesitate to kill you. But you just keep pushin it don't you. So Ranma Saotome, make your peace, and prepare to die!" She swung her chain tail behind you and fell into another fighting stance.  
"Listen. Lady. I don't have time for this. We can play later." Ranma turned and prepared to jump again, when he felt a pressure point in his back being pressed. Suddenly his legs went numb and he fell.  
He looked at his legs and then up and Nodoka.  
"You're not kidding huh. Not many people, could even get that close, much less actually hit me. All right. You want a fight? Fine." With that Ranma countered the pressure point and stood up.  
Nodoka hissed and attacked.  
  
Authors note: Hi everyone thanks for the reviews. I didn't like this chapter so much, what do you think? As always suggestions and constructive criticism is highly appreciated. Questions? go ahead and email me (mandfmafia_7@yahoo.com) or im me at ReB197666. Or review. Whatever! Thanks again! Next chapter? If I get at least 2 reviews I'll see what I can do about updating by next weekend. (but if I get em Saturday night that doesn't count) It's gonna be about the fight and maybe sum Nabiki or Akane. Anyway thanks! Love Independen-and-happy1373 (Rhianon) 


	6. chapter 6: Reunion

Everyone had gone home including Akane. In her room she pulled the mask off over her head, and tossed it on the bed. She sniffed as though trying to hold in the tears while she unbuckled her belt and tossed it alongside her mask. She sat down on the bed and slumped down, looking at her hands, folded between her legs. As she sniffed again, a single tear fell down onto her hands, now clenched in anger at her weakness. She would have started full-out crying again if her com hadn't startled her out of her melancholy.  
  
"Hey Michiko, you have "visitors." On cam 5." the life-like computer voice said. Wiping her eyes Akane walked into a room full of TV screens and looked at the screen representing camera #5. On the screen were 2 people Akane had never expected to see again. They looked a little different, a little older, but even in an Armani suit or pregnant Akane would always be able to recognize her sisters.  
  
"Open the gate." She said in shocked amazement. The tall steel gate opened and the 2 girls looked at each other before pushing onwards onto the huge property. Akane watched them, wide-eyed, as they went from screen to screen. Eventually they reached the double doors, which Akane opened automatically at the press of a button.  
  
Inside the entrance, Kasumi and Nabiki were met by 2 lionesses sitting placidly. Even 2 calm lions are enough to scare anyone unaccustomed to them, and the two sisters were obviously startled and scared but they didn't run. In unison the lions turned around and started walking down the hall.  
  
When Akane was sure that her sisters were following the lions she rushed out of the room, and through her suite to the hall. She ran through the house until she got to the top of a grand stair case where the 2 lionesses sat, waiting for the two humans that were still at the bottom of the staircase. As soon as they saw each other the 3 sisters gasped and then Akane was flying down the stairs into the arms of her family. Kasumi, Akane, and even Nabiki all sobbed and laughed at the same time.  
  
"O Kami, I'm going to ruin your suit." Akane said tearily and happily in reference to the tears darkening Nabiki's blue Armani suit.  
  
"Screw the suit!" Nabiki replied.  
  
"We've missed you so much imouto-chan! Have you been here all along?" Kasumi contributed with tears running down in torrents. It was obvious they were all children on Soun Tendo, by the way the water streamed down their faces.  
  
"O, no. Been here and there, you know how it is. Are you guys hungry? We could get some food from the kitchen. Or we could just go to my room and talk, or I could show you around the place, or." Akane ended her blissful babling.  
  
"Could we just go to your room and talk? We brought food from home." Kasumi responded holding up a stuffed canvas bag and still crying.  
  
Akane smiled at her ever-thoughtful oldest sister.  
  
"Ya, is that ok? Cuz you have a LOT of explainin to do. Like where you got that outfit! I'm sure I've never seen it at Neiman Marcus! Do you have company?" Nabiki said slyly, but still crying , referring to her sisters skin tight black outfit. Akane blushed and laughed at the same time, seeing how similar her sister was now as she was so many years ago.  
  
"Yes, I have company. Their names are Nabiki and Kasumi. Come on, I'll take you upstairs." She said. And with that she started walking up the stairs while hugging her sisters around the waist. When they reached the top and saw the lions still waiting Kasumi commented:  
  
"Akane I know you always loved animals but..." and Nabiki continued dryly:  
  
"Isn't this a little bit...extreme?"  
  
"Don't worry, they're friendly...mostly. I'll explain it all, just wait."  
  
With that they continued their walk through the house, Nabiki and Kasumi being continually stunned at its size and beauty and....wild animals and secrets. They were especially surprised when Akane showed them the "door" to her room, which was very deceptive to it's size.  
  
She introduced Tanto, the head lioness, who was draped on top of a closet.  
  
"She's named for a knife because..." Nabiki asked and Akane replied.  
  
"She's my sword, my first right hand. She saved me, trained me. She's a weapon in herself. I'll explain everything, don't worry"  
  
When they were all seated inside, and munching on Kasumi's home-cooked food, Akane began her story, not what she'd told Nodoka, they already knew that story. But the real story of why she'd left almost 8 years ago to the day. And meanwhile....  
  
"Just DIE!!!!!" Nodoka snarled while swinging at her opponent with her claws extended.  
  
"You know, after you've had that yelled at you for enough years, it stops botherin ya. Come up with somethin more original why dontcha." Ranma replied smugly. He was rewarded with a chi-enhanced slice through his shirt, and a deep cut on his arm for his over-confidence.  
  
*Damn! This chick's good! Her aura's ice cold, so I can't use the Hiryu Shoten Ha. She's got great chi control, so the Moko Takabisha probably won't work. Besides this area is too urban to do something like that. I'm faster than her though...* The thoughts flashed through his head almost instantly  
  
He growled and continued  
  
"Ya know, I normally don't like fighting girls but you're pushing it! Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken revised!" He yelled and began punching and kicking at super human speed.  
  
"Save your breath" She hissed in response and began dodging every one of his attacks.  
  
"You think you're special because you know that attack? Think again! ROOOOWR" She roared and began attacking in a new style with renewed speed.  
  
*What the hell!?! She's, she's using CAT MOVES! That's what they meant by tasting my chi! It's like the cat sixth sense! DUH!* He thought.  
  
*Fine. You wanna go kitty hun? Meet the master* Suddenly his aura flared and changed color, and he noticed hers had done the same.  
  
"So you know neko-ken. Prepare!" Nodoka said and fell into a stance. Her voice was more whispery, and had a raspy growl to it.  
  
"Anytime now." Ranma said, and his voice was the same raspy growl, but deeper.  
  
They flew at each other swinging claws and shredding the metal and air conditioning units around them. 30 minutes later Nodoka fell out of midair and lay stiffly on the roof, not moving.  
  
Ranma landed on his feet lightly, and out out-of-breath.  
  
"Take me to Akane and I'll press the counter-pressure point." Ranma said, his voice back to normal  
  
Nodoka just growled in response.  
  
"I don't think you have many options here! Tell me or I'll kill you!" The hate and anger Nodoka glared at Ranma with assured him that he was right. There's only ONE option: death. He sighed and pressed a pressure point on her neck allowing her to speak.  
  
"Kill me then! Because I'd die a MILLION times before I'd tell someone like you where the Lady is."  
  
"The Lady. Ah. Look, I promise not to do anything to her ok? I'm beggin you, I HAVE to see her." Ranma said forcefully and pitifully at the same time.  
  
Nodoka spit at him. Ranma looked away and then crouched to be at eye level (almost). " Give her this. Ok? Just give it to her, and I'll let you go, and on my honor I won't follow you, or send someone to follow you or anything. I promise it's not gonna be traced. Please. Please,I just want to know why she left. And I want her to know....I want her to know....that I love her. Please." Ranma finished quietly and dejectedly while pulling out an envelope.  
  
Nodoka glared at him, but inside she felt sorry for him. *THIS is the guy who fucked up Lady's life remember??....But they loved, LOVE each other.....No. HE loves her, she LOVED him. They're over! Don't make her deal with this again...Let her decide* Nodoka battled internally.  
  
"I'm not makin you any promises" She spat at Ranma.  
  
He looked at her solemnly and said:  
  
"That's fine." He freed her from her body hold and handed the envelope to her. She glared at him and began hopping away. Ranma turned and went in the opposite direction.  
  
30 minutes later Nodoka burst into Akane's room with a lion in tow. After she got over the surprise of seeing her Lady's family and getting through the introductions she miserably handed the letter to Akane and bowed apologetically before leaving the room dejectedly, leaving the 3 women sitting stunned on the bed.  
  
AN: What do you guys think? I got a new sn: ReBTmD1373, so if anyone has ideas please IM me. I want 10 reviews before I continue, but I'd probably settle for 5. PLEASE review, this is my first fic and I wanna know how I'm doing. THANK YOU SO MUCH to all the ppl who already reviewed me. Anyway, ttul. Luv Independen-and-happy1373 (Rhianon) BTW: I'm havin probs with the spacing again, so it might be ok to you, or it might be kinda cramped. For those of you who see it normal, that's great, for those of you who don't, I'm sorry but I'm working on it. Sorry 


	7. chapter 7: Enter Evil

Dear Akane,  
  
There are a million things I want to say to you, but you know I was never very good with words. So, I'm going to try to say just 3, so that I don't make you mad. I always did that. Sometimes it was on purpose, but mostly it was on accident. Even when I didn't mean to, I always found a way to infuriate you.  
  
And I'm sorry. For everything. That's the thing I wanted to say before anyything else. I drove you away, and I didn't even know I was doing it. One day you were just gone, and I realized that it was probably my fault, and it drove me nuts that I had caused it. You see, Akane, just because I didn't show it, didn't mean I didn't care. You may never have known it, but I was, totall, 100 % in love with you.  
  
That was the second thing I wanted to tell you, that I was and AM completely in love with you. You were, you ARE my whole world, and I was too scared to tell you, too scared of rejection, too scared you didn't feel the same way. And I found out I was right when you left, but I couldn't let you go without you knowing how I felt, and knowing that if you ever wanted me, I'll be here.  
  
The last thing I wanted to do, is to challenge you Akane. You said that I never took you seriously, and you were always angry because I would never spar with you. The truth is, it was never because you were a girl. I mean I fought Shampoo, and Kodachi, and even Ukyo. But I didn't fight you because you weren't just a girl. You were THE girl, and I was terrified I would hurt you. But now, I want to fight you. You cannot refuse; your honor would be tarnished. I know it's dishonorable to use tactics like this, but I have to see you, even if it's just this one last time.  
  
I'll meet you at the Sasaki Dojo, tomorrow at 7.  
  
Love always and Forever,  
  
Ranma Saotome  
  
Akane held the letter in small, trembling hands and read the letter over and over 3 times before falling down on the bed wide-eyed, and handing the letter to her sisters. They read it and then glanced at each other, and then at Akane who was staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Are you gonna go imouto-chan?" Nabiki asked. Akane didn't answer, but kept staring at the ceiling with her arms flung over her head.  
  
"Akane?" Kasumi asked.  
  
"No. No, I'm not going to go. I can't. I swore I would never let him find me. I've almost failed in that promise. I have no honor left. But I will not degrade myself even more by breaking my promise. It is more dishonorable not to do something I said I would do, than to not do something someone else has told me I have to do. I will not go." Akane replied in a monotone voice."  
  
Nabiki and Kasumi looked at each other again.  
  
"You are the most honorable person we know, Akane-chan. What ever you do will be right." Kasumi said.  
  
"Silly concept anyway. You did what was necessary to survive, but if it makes you feel better, I agree with Kasumi. Besides, after what he did to you...." Nabiki put in, before being interrupted by her sister.  
  
"Don't, Nabiki. Don't say it, I don't want to remember anymore." Akane sniffed and then sat up smiling as if she'd never heard of someone named Ranma Saotome, much less loved him.  
  
"Hey you guys! There's gonna be this huge ball thing tomorrow night, one of those big pointless social events you love Nabiki. One of my old buddies is throwing it. Do you wanna go? We'd have to go shopping and everything. It would be just like the old days!"  
  
"Hmm, shopping? You know I can't say no to that!" was Nabiki's response. Kasumi looked down at her bulging stomach.  
  
"I... I don't know imouto-chan. I mean, I doubt I'd look very good in a dress right now...." Kasumi said.  
  
"Oh Kami!! I totally forgot, when I was telling you what happened to me!!! Is it Tofu's? How far along are you? Do you know if it's a girl or a boy?" Akane asked in a rush.  
  
"And don't be silly! You would always look beautiful, and if you didn't feel comfortable, they DO make dresses for pregnant people."  
  
Kasumi blushed and said practically glowingly:  
  
"Ok, I guess I could go, and yes it is Ono's. It's a girl, and I'm 4 months pregnant....  
  
********************************************************  
  
Ranma walked to the Dojo nervously. It wasn't really owned by anyone. According to the stories, centuries ago it had been created by a legendary warrior who invented the most dangerous of all martial arts styles: the neko-ken. People came to the dojo to pray to the warrior's spirit for good luck, and Ranma believed if he ever needed good luck or a patron warrior it was now.  
  
He walked through the shoji doors with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. His instincts, as always, were correct. Across from the doors was a note pinned on one of the support beams. Ranma walked towards it, feeling his heart shattering for the millionth time, before he even reached it.  
  
"It would be a greater dishonor for me to let you find me, than to reject  
your challenge. I apologize for wasting your time."  
  
Ranma held the note with his large hands trembling and read it with eyes showing nothing at all.  
  
"Raaaaaaaa!!!!!!!" Ranma yelled in pure frustration and anger, startling the birds outside. He stalked out and slammed the doors shut. If his original method wouldn't work, he would find a new one, just like always. He wouldn't give Akane up, not yet, not till he saw her one last time, and knew why she had left him, and could tell her face to face he loved her. It was time to go back to the police station.  
  
Sitting in one of the blooming cherry trees outside, a beautiful, angry, purple-eyed woman watched Ranma stalk off. She looked away pouting angrily. Once she had been young and bubbly and happy, but she was a shell of what she'd once been. All the goodness in her had been corrupted, and what was left was an angry, bitter, jealous woman, obsessed with her un-catchable prey of 10 years.  
  
******************************************************** A.N.: hey everyone. I didn't like this chapter too much, but that's ok. The next chapter is going to involve both Akane and Ranma's aliases. (could you tell?)^_^ and it'll involve the amazons ...but nothing for sure yet. For all of you shampoo lovers I want you to know that I really DO like shampoo, but I need a bad guy here. The next story I do, I'll make her a good guy k? ^_^. But remember, I can't start a new story if I don't continue this one, and I can't continue this one unless I get reviews. So all Shampoo lovers, ( and everyone else) review pleez!!!! Anyway. Luv u all lots! Independen-and-happy1373 


	8. chapter 8: Selfcontrol

Ranma scowled, pulled at his bowtie, and adjusted his mask. He hated social events like this. How could he have thought the station would be helpful!? He'd asked for a potential target address that the Blue Lion might strike at next and he'd been given this:  
  
Christina Sims. An American, was throwing a party, a masquerade at:  
  
22 Cottage Lane.  
  
And of course, Ranma had to dress to blend in. That involved his completely black tuxedo, gloves, and of course the matching black mask.  
  
"Cottage. Right." He thought to himself. The house was huge, 3 stories with tennis courts, a gym, a pool, extensive gardens, and .... a ballroom.  
  
Ranma hated ballrooms, he hated masquerades, he hated dancing. That wasn't to say he wasn't good, there was just no-one he wanted to dance with. Suddenly the back of Ranma's neck prickled and he turned to look at the door through his mask.  
  
* O KAMI! NO, not now!! GODDAMN! Why wont she give up? Shit somebody's going to get hurt tonight!* Ranma thought about the girl he saw. She had a beautiful body, and the tight bodice of her violet and white dress showed it off extremely. Her hair was up in an elaborate bun and her face was covered by a violet mask ringed in little white rosettes. Shampoo was obviously searching for someone in the mass of colorful dancers, and it wasn't hard to figure out who.  
  
Ranma watched her go upstairs looking for him, and figured he was relatively safe for a while. Suddenly, he felt his stomach flood with a warm feeling. It was like the warning he'd had when Shampoo had come in, but different, like the feeling you get when you see your crush walk into the room and look at you. He turned and looked at the staircase at the door.  
  
Three women had just walked in, and they were all beautiful, but the one in the middle seemed different. Her hair cascaded down her back in blue-black waves and contrasted with her dress, which was made of a white, shimmery, satin, with a blue sheen, and the sleeves were pulled across the sides of her arms. The dress wasn't one of these big billowy affairs, like most of the women at the party, like Shampoo's, but was long and sleek, reaching the ground and hiding her feet. The waist seam was right under her chest and then went straight down the ground.  
  
The 2 other women wore matching dresses, but one was obviously pregnant, and the color of her dress was dark blue with silver trim at the swirling base, collar and sleeves. It sparkled like the stars and was the same as the third one's. Standing in a row they looked a piece of heaven in between a beautiful night sky.  
  
The other thing they had in common, was that they were all wearing silvery white lion masks across their eyes and had matching lion ears* in their hair. They had long silvery-white gloves on up to a little above their elbows, and matching silver necklaces with 3 pearls on them.  
  
Ranma stared at the one in the middle. She outclassed Shampoo exponentially, in beauty and in grace. He hadn't felt like this since...well, since Akane. Maybe.... And with the mask, and outfit....could it be, that this was....? He almost stopped breathing.  
  
He moved up onto the staircase opposite of the one the beautiful woman was on, and watched as she and her companions walked through the crowd towards the hostess of the party, Christina Sims. Christina was tall and blond, and was talking to a man who was obviously trying to impress her, and obviously failing, which was proven when the woman in white reached her. Christina turned and immediately hugged the woman, who hugged her back and then started talking to her. It was too far away for Ranma to understand what they were saying though. The young man walked away after a few futile attempts at regaining her attention, when he finally realized he was unwanted and being ignored.  
  
The woman in white gestured to her companions and Ranma realized she was introducing them. Suddenly the pregnant one leaned forward and rubbed her stomach. She started walking over to a chair with the support of her 2 companions and when she had sat down she started waving the other 2 women away. They left but reluctantly and Ranma saw the other one go back to talk with the hostess, and saw the one in white agree to dance with a man who had asked her.  
  
Ranma frowned, got up, and moved towards the dancing beauty.  
  
********************************************************  
Akane winced inside, but maintained her pleasant smile on the outside. The stupid, idiot she was dancing with had stepped on her foot again. She sighed inaudibly, and when the moron she was dancing with stepped on her again, her already strained smile started to become a grimace.  
  
Then though, the man decided that because she had agreed to dance with him she must like him, and started to move his hands lower than was appropriate.  
  
Behind her mask Akane's eyes narrowed and she said in a cold voice:  
  
"Sir, remove your hand NOW."  
  
"Why though? You know you like it..." He whispered pulling her closer and breathing on her face. She started to push away, and he started to pull her closer when a deep, cold voice interrupted them.  
  
"Sir, it is EXTREMELY obvious she DOESN'T like it. Now, let. Her. Go." He said, enforcing his order by squeezing the man's shoulder with a fist of steel. The man, of course, let go immediately, and the man in black swept Akane into his arms to dance, which of course she didn't appreciate.  
  
"I could have handled that by myself." Akane said angrily in a controlled voice.  
  
"I have no doubt, but he was being rude, and it didn't cost me anything to stop it. If anything I gained something, by being able to dance with a beautiful woman like you."  
  
"Maybe I'm horribly disfigured under my mask. Maybe I'm a bad dancer. Maybe I don't want to dance with you. "She said as the mysterious man in black twirled her around.  
  
"Well, if you are disfigured that's not a big deal, as far as I can tell you're a wonderful dancer, and if you don't want to dance, just say the word and we can go get some drinks instead." He said grinning cockily.  
  
"I'd love to, except I'm meeting my boyfriend here, and he wouldn't like me getting drinks with another man." She said.  
  
"O, you have a boyfriend?" He said, his arrogance gone.  
  
"No. But you were being too cocky." She replied, a grin similar to his earlier, confident one adorning her face. The man in black chuckled and Akane's breath caught in her throat.  
  
*Oh. My. Kami. No, no it's not possible, he can't be here. Why would he be here!?!?* She thought to herself while they did the waltz.  
  
"Are you OK? You turned kinda pale." He asked her in that deep familiar voice.  
  
"I'm fine! I, I have to go, to...the bathroom! It's been fun, bye now." She said hurriedly before releasing herself from his grip and walking quickly away.  
  
* Oh my Kami. One dance and he nearly destroys 8 years of self-control. I'll just get some air and calm down and I'll be back in control. Just stay in control. Come on Akane, soul of ice, control, control, control.*  
  
She ran/walked towards the staircase and hurried up it, trying to make her excuse valid. At the top she forced herself to slow down and walk to the bathroom calmly. When she got there she entered and then left, first through the door, and then through the window.  
  
Akane dropped the 30 feet to the ground and landed lightly on one foot. She looked around and saw she was in the rose gardens.  
  
*How beautiful* she thought.  
  
* This is as good a place as any to take a little break. Nabiki and  
Kasumi will be fine*  
  
Akane strolled through the gardens and admired the beautiful flowers, stopping occasionally to smell a particularly beautiful blossom. After a half hour she felt calm and collected again, but not like going back inside.  
  
She could feel somebody's aura, but she figured it was just a gardener of something. She reached up to take off her mask, to feel the cool night air on her face, and then she heard it.  
  
"Don't take it off. I don't want to see your ugly face." Shampoo said....  
  
A/N: hey everyone, I know I said that I was going to have RANMA fight Akane really soon, but it just didn't turn out that way, but don't worry theyre still gonna fight, and its still gonna be soon! Just...not quite as soon as I thought. Anyway, I would really really love reviews, but I doubt I'll update if I get a certain number. It didn't work last time, and even if I'm only writing for a select few, who like this story, that's enough ^_^ for those people: thank you so much! 


	9. chapter 9: Unexpected heritage

"Smooth move Saotome."  
  
Ranma growled a little before turning around to see who knew his name and was slowing him down from getting to Akane.  
  
"Nabiki?" he asked incredulously before starting to grin confidently and ecstatically.  
  
"So. It is her. I have to go Nabiki. I'll talk to you later." Ranma said. He turned around to continue towards the women bathroom, when he felt a determined hand grab his arm harshly.  
  
"Nabiki!" Ranma growled.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? Is there a REASON you're stopping me from seeing the only thing I've wanted for 8 years?" He asked angrily in a low voice.  
  
"No, Ranma I'm just doing this because I'm an evil bitch who WANTS to see you suffer." She replied sarcastically without a bit of fear of what the martial artist she was restraining could do to her.  
  
"Of COURSE there's a reason. But I can't tell you. I won't let you destroy her again Ranma. I know what happened and I won't let you destroy her again." She continued calmly with a sad undertone.  
  
"Well, you're one up on me. I DON'T know. But I intend to find out. She is the only thing that means anything to me. If you don't let go of me RIGHT now, I'll force you to." Ranma said coldly.  
  
Nabiki just narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip.  
  
"Fine." Ranma took hold of her wrist and gently (for him) pried it off of his wrist, without hurting her. He'd been honest. He DIDN'T care about anything except his ex-fiancé, but that didn't mean he was willing to hurt his captor. She wasn't a martial artist, and besides, she was Akane's sister.  
  
"I love her just as much as you do Nabiki. Don't deprive me of what I want as badly as you did. You got what you wanted. Now let me find what I need." He said, and then turned away to continue of the stairs.  
  
"I'm sorry little sister. I tried, but he loves you, and he needs this as much as you do." Nabiki whispered to herself before turning around to go find Kasumi.  
  
********************************************************  
  
"Shampoo." Akane hissed with venom in her voice.  
  
"You think you've won. Don't you bitch. I saw you 2 dancing. You think you've won him. But you haven't. And you never will." Shampoo said in an icy voice as she pulled a violet sack from her matching violet skirt. She opened the small bag and poured a miniature mountain of glittering white powder onto her hand.  
  
She blew onto the small pile almost violently and then flung her hand in Akane's direction to get as much of the powder near her as possible. Akane simply stood there, looking at Shampoo arrogantly.  
  
"You cannot compete with 3000 years of Amazon culture!" Shampoo said imperiously, with her hands on her hips.  
  
Akane rolled her eyes, and shook her head condescendingly.  
  
"3000 years of your Amazon culture...is what created me! You think you're the only one who has access to that powder? I'm immune! I use it weekly, sometimes even daily, because of what you turned me into! I went to China, to Joketsuzoku. Didn't your sister tell you? Oh wait...you and Lo Xian (Lotion) aren't talking, are you. She's a lot different. She died her hair dark brown and wears contacts. I'll bet you didn't even know she changed her name. She's called Nodoka now. Ironic isn't it. I left Nerima and went to China because of what you did to me over a man, and I get a companion who decides to name herself after the mother of the source of our conflict. Kind of makes your head spin."  
  
# You stupid lying bitch! You would never survive among the Joketsuzoku!# Shampoo screamed in Chinese as she attacked Akane with her chi Bonbori.  
  
# If I didn't, how can I speak Chinese you stupid slut? I DID go there, and I met YOUR family. You've been disowned haven't you. They knew it was you, and they knew what you did to me, was dishonorable beyond absolution! You haven't been home in probably 7 years! So don't give me that Amazon crap! YOU'RE NOT an Amazon!# Akane said as she dodged Shampoo's bonbori. Suddenly Shampoo stopped, saving face at her lack of ability to hit her opponent.  
  
"Psh. You deserved everything you got, it's not my fault those fools couldn't see it. You're a violent animal, you were LUCKY to be r-"  
  
#If you finish that sentence sister, I personally will be the one to rip your throat out. You claim pride in being an Amazon, but you treat your fellow female worse than a lowly man, THIS is why the Amazons removed you as the heiress of the tribe. THIS lack of honor and companionship to your fellow warrioress is what caused you to lose your position as the future Queen of the Joketsuzoku. You disgust me.# Nodoka said coldly as she walked in from the gloom of the gardens.  
  
She was wearing her typical Lioness attire, the skin-tight black outfit, the black mask, the swinging, black chain tail, and the retractable claws.  
  
"Nodoka? When did you get here?" Akane asked in mild surprise.  
  
"Nabiki called me on her cell phone. Apparently Kasumi saw Shampoo watching you. She recognized the hair." Nodoka replied without looking away from her sister.  
  
#So the stupid cow's sisters are here too hmm?#  
  
#The "stupid cow" could kill you easily! Don't tempt me to do it. We let you leave with your life! Don't forfeit that sister. Don't make me take it from you.# Nodoka responded angrily.  
  
#HA! As if you could, you weak, worthless, little girl. Since you seem to think you are stronger and better equipped than me to lead those silly fools in China, who dared slighting me...I challenge you! After I send your bloody body back to that foolish great-grandmother of ours, the people will beg me to come back and lead them. After all, what will they do without their stupid little princess, to continue leading the tribe when mother finally dies?#  
  
Nodoka shut her eyes and drew in a deep, angry breath to calm herself.  
  
#I accept your challenge.#  
  
#Good! And as soon as I kill you, I'll kill your stupid-cow slut over there....#  
  
At this point they both noticed Akane was missing. Using Nodoka's momentary distraction Shampoo began her deceitful attack, and the fight was on.  
  
********************************************************  
A couple of hundred feet away, a masked figure in black tuxedo, sprinted through another garden. In his arms lay a beautiful, unconscious woman wearing white, a sharp contrast to her dark captor. Her dress fluttered in the wind as her unwitting conquerer leapt over the wall separating the estate from the rest of the world.  
  
"Sorry 'Kane. I have to do this." He whispered to her as he continued running into the night. 


	10. chapter 10: Amazon Showdown

Nodoka ducked under Shampoo's bonbori and smashed her in the back with her own. The ex-Amazon was knocked to the ground, but her years of training came in and after a painful roll she came back up on her feet, with a couple of new bruises.   
Shampoo (or Xian Pu), being Nodoka's (or Lo Xian's) senior had the advantage of 26 years of training, while Nodoka only had 19. Not only that, but seven of those years had consisted of a furious, angry, totally committed training, dedicated to getting revenge and winning the love of her "Airen." She'd gone to many places and taught herself many techniques.   
Nodoka however wasn't without her own advantages. She'd been training just as hard as her sister, sometimes harder. And she'd had marvelous teachers, her great-grandmother and her current sensei- Akane. Shampoo had never been taught the secret techniques Akane possessed, and was at a disadvantage because of it. The difference in her training with Cologne, was that Cologne had realized early on that Nodoka was much more stable than her elder sister, and had taught her the more advanced, dangerous techniques. Shampoo however didn't know that.   
Nodoka leapt over her sisters head as she attempted to skewer her on her bonbori.* Shampoo swung around and attempted to smash Nodoka's skull in as she landed, her weapons meeting thin air as Nodoka dropped down and swung her foot in an arc, pulling Shampoos feet out from under her. Nodoka stood passively as Shampoo rolled away and leapt to her feet. Shampoo's chi bonbori disappeared and Nodoka allowed hers to leave also.  
  
(*Bonbori for those of you who don't know, are heavy round balls on the end of handles. Blunt and good for smashing things. At the top of the ball is a spiked metal tip, or at least on the bonbori in this story there are. That's what Shampoo was using to try and "skewer" her sister with)  
  
#Give it up sister.# Lo Xian said, giving the last word a sarcastic emphasis.   
#You can never defeat me, not with all the special moves you've ever learned! You see, Lo Xian, I was always your superior, even back when we were children. I'm your superior now, and I will ALWAYS be your superior. Now- witness the Ultimate Move- MOKO TAKABISHA!!!" Shampoo screamed, throwing a ball of radiant chi at her sister.  
  
#Humility of the Heron!# Nodoka yelled in response, generating her own chi ball, canceling out Shampoo's and knocking her backwards. The skirt of her dress was now in shreds, and blood-stained. She stood up rockily and pulled her bonbori out again.  
  
#Stupid. That was stupid. Of course I would know that attack. AKANE is my teacher, she's been exposed to that attack too. And besides, the principle is simple. All I had to do to defeat you attack, was use the opposite emotion. #  
#You have not won yet# Nodoka's opponent replied, glaring in hatred. She stood straight and closed her eyes. Shampoo held her arms open, holding the bonbori. They (the bonbori) both shimmered and seemed to vanish. In their place stood 2 more identical Shampoo's.  
  
#Chi warriors. Impressive.# Nodoka smirked. She shut her eyes and a wind started swirling around her. Suddenly the wind roared in her sisters direction, stopping their attack. Two of the identical girls shattered into mist.  
  
#Chi wind. Apparently mine was stronger than yours.# Abruptly Nodoka pulled out a few bonboris and slung them at her sister at a monumental speed. The sisters were of the same blood though, and Shampoo was not a mediocre fighter. She knocked each bonbori out of the air until the last one, which hit her square on the side of her face, knocking her down. She struggled meagerly to get back up, until Nodoka walked over and placed her foot on her throat.  
  
#Leave Lady alone. Do you understand me? Consider yourself lucky. If it hadn't been for Akane I would have killed you without a second thought. She has taught me mercy.# Nodoka paused for a moment before continuing: #As a child I always admired you, you know. Your fighting ability, your devotion to your fellow sisters, your intelligence. I should rightfully kill you. But you ARE my sister, despite what the council said. Don't prove me wrong on all 3 accounts. Be smart. Leave. Or else, I WILL kill you.#  
  
With that Nodoka, Lo Xian, turned around and walked away from her old Amazon sister Xian Pu leaving behind an empty shell full of hate, anger, and tainted love.  
  
POV  
  
She's so beautiful. I don't just mean her beautiful, dark, eyes, closed right now, in a sleep I caused. Not just her perfect figure, and those gorgeous lips, and that cute, little nose. That's what men see on the surface. I mean more. That flame, that burns inside of her, the one that makes her so feisty and willing to take on odds stronger than herself, that roaring flame that draws people to her like moths. Without that flame, without Akane's beautiful fire, my world is dark. She's the light in my ebony darkness. Without her I cannot see, and there is nothing worth seeing. Why did she leave? Would she.......would she come back, if I told her?.......I don't want to live in the darkness anymore......  
  
Authors Notes: I would just like to clear up a question before you ask. The thing about the Bonboris. In this story the bonbori are made of chi, as are all the weapons that people seem to be able to pull out of midair, including Akane's mallet. That's just my explanation of it. Also! When I wrote POV, I meant Ranma's point of view. I just wanted to point out that I wasn't writing in 3rd person anymore, I wanted you to know who it was by yourself. Anyway that's all I can think of at the moment. Any more questions? Pleez review and ask!!! Sorry it's taken me so long to review and sorry it's shorter than most of mine. Thanks again!!!! O, I forgot. I'm very sorry about this chapter, I know it's not that good. I'm NOT good at fight scenes, and this whole thing was kinda stretched. Sorry again. 


	11. chapter 11: Frightened Awakening

Akane's POV  
  
Breath In. Breath Out. Slowly. Continue. Pretend to be asleep. In. Out. Repeat. Pretend. Asleep. I take stock of my surroundings and my situation. I can't raise my eyelids. Ok so there's a blindfold. Shit. Ok, no funny tastes, no weird sensations. Ok so, drugs are ruled out. Pressure points then. Oh. Oh God, No.  
  
Ranma's POV  
  
She's waking up I think. Her breathings the same, but her chi is changing colors. I dunno. Maybe she's just having a dream. Her chi flares up all of the sudden. Either she's awake or it's a really bad nightmare. Maybe it's both. Maybe she's awake and she knows where she is, and it IS a nightmare for her. Her hands start to slither towards her ribs, where the counter pressure point to the leg-lock I put her in is located. Definitely awake then. I hop up of my chair and walk over to the bed. I get on my knees and reach to pull of her blindfold. God, my hands are trembling. I take a steadying breath. OK. I reach forward and pull the bandana up over her head. Her eyes are closed. Still pretending to be asleep. She looks so peaceful..... I touch her face, relishing the feel of her soft skin. I'm rewarded for my unwanted attention.  
  
Regular POV  
  
Akane's eyes opened and her face contorted into a snarl as she attempted to bite Ranma's hand off. She lunged forward the best she could with her hands tied behind her back, and her legs immobilized. Ranma was quick enough to snatch his hand back unscathed, but the surprise was enough to quicken his breath.  
  
"Nice to see you too Akane." Ranma said indignantly, his eyes showing hurt. Akane just narrowed her eyes and growled in the back of her throat. She surveyed her surroundings quickly. She was on a bed, with blue silk sheets, and next to the bed was a nightstand with a digital clock. There were large oak doors across from the bed* and a chair about 5 feet away, which Akane guessed, Ranma had been sitting in before he'd come to the bed. Her lips widened and she bared her teeth as she realized how difficult it would be to get out without showing Ranma what she knew. *has 2 do w. chap 3 if u can remember that far back  
  
Ranma pressed his lips together and looked down.  
  
"I know you don't want to be here Akane, and I don't want you to be here either, not like this. I want you to talk to me, to be with me WILLINGLY. There are just...just a few things I want to ask, and to tell you. And then I'll let you go. I'll let you go away and I'll never try to talk to you again. Please, just give me the answers I need." During his speech he'd looked up and was staring into Akane's blue eyes.*  
  
(yes, yes I know akane's eyes are brown. Bear w. me)  
  
Akane wasn't a love-sick young girl, and she hadn't spent the time simply staring into Ranma's eyes. She'd been using her chi claws to slowly cut her bonds apart. She COULD'VE ripped them apart, she could tell Ranma had underestimated her strength, yet again, when he'd tied her bonds, but not by TOO much. However ripping them apart would be much more noticeable than simply clawing them apart. Besides, she still had to free herself from the leg-lock and it would be much quicker if her hands were already free.  
  
She leaned forward and stared into Ranma's eyes intoxicatingly, a hint of a smile on her face. That should have been his warning, the Akane who could've previously been taken as rabid, by the way she was glaring and growling, was now SMILING. But of course Ranma's biggest weakness, even bigger than his fear of cats EVER was, was Akane's smile. And it'd been so many years since he'd seen the real thing..... He was enchanted by it. And during his distraction Akane slithered her hands forward again, meeting no opposition, and pressed the counter- pressure point, to mobilize her legs.  
  
Akane's smile dropped from her face, and her eyes were filled with an angry fire, all of this occurring nearly instantly. She pulled her arms above her head, her hands clenched together in a fist, and brought them down on Ranma's surprised face. He fell to the ground, and she scrambled off the bed. She began to run to the door, but he recovered quickly, and still on the ground shot out his hand to grab her ankles.  
  
She fell down as he grabbed her, turning so she landed on her back, and then slid on the wooden floor as he pulled her towards him. His hands were now around her bent knees and he was on her left side. Akane braced herself with her elbows, and then lifted her left arm to punch Ranma in the face. Ranma stopped her fist with his right hand, but to do so he had to release his hold on her left leg, which she then jerked up, and kneed him in the stomach.  
  
As a result, he pitched forward, and grabbed her other wrist, which was NOT the intended effect. Now one of her legs was free, but he was pinning her down. She jerked her wrists down and kicked up with the leg, causing him to lose his balance. He fell, but held onto Akane causing them to roll over together. Now Akane was on top of Ranma, and because Ranma was still holding her wrists, she was pulled down. Their faces were only inches from each other, and while Ranma didn't mind, Akane was obviously not enjoying it.  
  
Akane wrenched her wrists up, but Ranma just pulled back again, and the momentum caused them to roll again. Ranma was on top of Akane for a second time and now Akane's face, which had previously been indistinguishable, was terrified. Her resolve not to use her neko abilities crumbled, and she threw head back and roared/yowled. Ranma's grip tightened instinctively, and he was rewarded with a viscous kick to his already sore stomach. His grip loosened and Akane pulled herself free. She ran (NOT on all fours, upright) towards the door again, and began yanking at the door handle.  
  
It was much stronger than she expected, and she could tell it was very, very thick, made of something very strong, and locked. She growled and began slashing at the door, but even then it wouldn't open. Akane yowled in frustration and continued her assault on the door, until a large hand, attached to a muscular arm slammed into the door next to her.* Ranma's fingers weren't flat, or stretched out, like normal when a person hits something. His fingers were curved, and spread apart, as if it was a paw, and not a hand.  
  
"What are you DOING??" He demanded, his voice low and raspy and more like a growl than a human voice. He'd used his other hand to grab Akane roughly around the shoulder and spin her around. This was a mistake as he found out. As much as he wanted to see her, she did not apparently want to see him, which she made apparent as she slashed him across the face with her claws. Ranma ignored the cuts across his face and pushed her back against the door.  
  
"I just wanna talk to you!!!" He yelled in his raspy, wild, trying to get through to her.  
  
Akane's POV  
  
.............NO!! NO, NOT AGAIN!! NO!!!!........... o god! Help me!! Somebody help me!! O god please!! Help me...Don't let him hurt me, not again, don't let him hurt me....  
  
Regular POV  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you" He whispered roughly as if reading her mind. It seemed to get through to her for a second, and she stopped struggling for a moment.  
  
"I just wanna talk to you..." He whispered. Thinking it would help sooth her, he leaned forward and hugged her, continuing to whisper in her ear.  
  
"I'm not gonna hurt you..." he said softly, in his rough, cat-like manner.  
  
While most women would have relished having Ranma Satome's strong arms around them, most women were not Akane, had not gone through what Akane had, and did not have the abilities Akane had.  
  
Akane arched her back, so that as little as possible of her body was touching Ranma's and screamed in an anguished, primal way. She punched Ranma across the face, causing him to release her and fall down. She began attacking the door with renewed vigor, but realized quickly, something more was protecting the door. She backed up about 15 feet and began to gather her chi in a huge, violently red sphere. Ranma rubbed his face and looked up as Akane was forming her ball of chi.  
  
"Akane, NO!" He yelled, but she ignored him, and he barely dodged the flaming sphere as it shot towards the door, melting a perfect circle where it'd hit. Akane sped towards the door, and leapt out, her pursuer hot on her heels.  
  
Author's Notes: Hi everybody!!! Sorry, it's been a while since I updated. Well what did you think?? This chapter is a little longer than my last ones, about 1500 words! ( total, not longer) anyway, I kinda liked this one. What do you guys think? Please review! Thx again for reading.  
  
PS apparently I have 52 reviews. I'd just like to say THX times a MILLION to all those ppl! 


	12. chapter 12: Blue eyes Explained

AN: I have 60 reviews!!! Thank you all so much!!! Especially Lady Modokane- check out her stories Guiding The Fallen Angels, and her new one Choices Not Given. Keep it up Lady Modokane!!! Please r and r.  
  
Thanks a lot t my prereaders Lilli Boom and Liezel! you guys rock!

Sry it took me so long to update = /  
  
Ranma's POV  
  
'What is going on with that girl!?' Ranma thought to himself as he shook his head dazedly and chased after his ex-fiancée. He continued running and reached the door of his training gym, now ripped of one of the hinges and hanging haphazardly. He slowed down and entered the gym hesitantly. The gym was a dead end, the end of the tunnel. There would be nowhere to go from here. She was trapped.  
  
Ranma was not an idiot. He could add things up.... the ropes; He would have seen her rip them apart, she'd broken them in a way besides her brute strength. The way she'd snarled and growled, the way she'd attacked the door AND him. Ranma felt gashes on his face. They were deep, probably crimson with blood, but they weren't bleeding. They'd been cauterized. Chi claw cuts.  
  
Ranma knew, he knew. Akane had learned the neko-ken, and not just the regular terrified, mindless neko-ken. She had learned the perfected neko- ken, the controlled, the exponentially more dangerous version. Ranma had realized this in his rooms, but hadn't acknowledged the thought until he'd reached the slashed door to the gym.  
  
'Of course she knows it you idiot! She trained that girl you fought the other day! How could she NOT know it?' Ranma mentally berated himself for not having realized it earlier and prepared for it. Now he would have to fight her all-out, a thing he would rather die before doing. He would have to hurt the girl he was in love with, before she would speak to him, and maybe, even then, she would refuse.  
  
And of course the fact that she was stuck in the gym would make her much, much more dangerous. She was a cornered, furious, wounded lioness, and few things are as dangerous.  
  
Ranma had entered his perfected neko-mode back in the room when he'd been holding Akane down and had heard her yowl in anger. He reinforced it as he stepped in the gym, his chi claws unsheathed, and his fingers curled in the customary "paw," of the technique. He pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it beside him. His muscles rippled underneath his skin as he put his arms up in a fighting stance, and bared his teeth. He was going all-out and was showing his opponent there would be nothing held back this time.  
  
Suddenly he threw his head back and let out a roar. His challenge, to the feline, the woman he wanted....  
  
Back at Chez Akane....  
  
Nabiki flipped her phone shut and handed it to a grateful Kasumi. She walked over to Nodoka who was standing at the window.  
  
"You did a good thing back there, you know. Your sister deserved that beating." Nabiki said, breaking the silence.  
  
"I suppose. She's no longer my sister though. She's like a weak dog. So different from the proud lioness she used to be...I am not that mangy dog's sister."  
  
"I've been meaning to ask. What's up with all the cat references? Akane's told me how she learned the neko-ken and trained her "elite" with it. But still. It's just a move. I mean, you guys also know the Hiryu Shoten Ha. Why don't you call yourselves dragons or something?" Nabiki said curiously.  
  
Nodoka did not respond immediately. She stared contemplatively through the window, into the night. After a minute or two of silence she began to speak slowly.  
  
"The perfected Neko-Ken is much, much more than a move. It is a way of life. It is a way of thinking, a way of behavior, a way of moving and breathing. It is not, just a technique. Your sister is the grand master of the neko-ken. She IS the cat-fist."  
  
"I don't understand" Nabiki said after a minute. She loathed those three words.  
  
"You understand how the cat-fist works right?" Nabiki nodded, as did Kasumi, who had finished talking to her husband and joined the other 2 women.  
  
"Ok, well the shinzebi Neko-Ken is like that, except infinitely more powerful. There are several differences, but the MAIN one, is that you're conscious. You know what you are doing, and you can control it."  
  
"Well yes, but it's still just a move. I don't understand how it's a way of life." Kasumi said confusedly. She'd overheard Nodoka's view of he neko-ken before she'd arrived.  
  
"For TRUE students of it, it is a way of life, because it never leaves you. You are always in neko-mode. Your senses are always enhanced, your way of thinking even changes. It becomes more animal-like, primal. That doesn't make you primitive though, it's more like there's another voice in your head, except it doesn't speak to you with words. It talks in cat, it's like a super-powerful sixth sense. It tells you if you're about to be attacked. There are other effects. You can understand cats to a degree.  
  
Your chi claws are always present, but they can be sheathed. You can't see these things though. The biggest way to tell, is that your eyes. They change color. If you lose the neko-ken, and it is possible, they change back to normal I suppose. If you lose the neko-ken though your probably dead, and after it you probably wish you were dead."  
  
Nabiki looked stunned at Kasumi, a look her sister shared as they thought of their blue eyed imouto-chan.  
  
"I thought they were contacts..." Nabiki said.  
  
"Yes, so did I. Oh My. And you Nodoka? Were your eyes purple like your sisters? Is that why they're brown now?" Kasumi directed at Nabiki and then Nodoka.  
  
Nodoka smiled faintly.  
  
"No. These are contacts." Nodoka put one finger to her eye and removed the small lens from one of her eyes. She looked up to reveal one amber eye, and one brilliantly green eye. After showing it to her Lady's sister she put the contact back in, and leaned on the window sill, clutching it tightly.  
  
"I have to go train now."  
  
She let go of the window sill and walked out of the room stiffly. Nabiki leaned forward to examine the claw marks in the wood.  
  
"I think she's upset about something."  
  
"Oh my."


	13. chapter 13: The Fight

The man was wet, walking in the freezing rain. How he loved the rain, especially when it was cold like this, and sheeting out of the skies like it was trying to punch the earth into submission. Ah rain.

He looked up, underneath the brim of his wide, straw, Chinese hat, and gazed at the large house in front of him. The house was dark, except for a light in the uppermost corner of the house. The signal; this was the right house. Gracefully the man hopped onto the pillar and stood gazing at the house. He turned his head slightly and looked behind him. Apparently finding nothing he returned his eyes to the house. Oh yes, this was the place. What awaited him there….That he could not be so sure off.

Shampoo was angry. She was more than angry, she was livid!!! First her impudent little sister decides to support that, that- pathetic excuse for a female DOG, and then, obviously fearing her elder sister's prowess in battle, and aptitude for revenge, she had dared to call for help! What a pathetic excuse for an Amazon! The little whelp was a disgrace to women everywhere, one that Shampoo would be sure to eliminate…

But at the moment…there were more important matters to be attended. She began to roof-hop towards her current base. Even in the dark and rain Shampoo's footing was sure. Her great-grandmother had taught her well. At the thought of the Amazon matriarch the purple-tressed woman mentally bristled, betraying her anger through the narrowing of her eyes, and the clenching of her fist. She'd show them all, oh yes she would.

First it would be Nodoka, and whoever she called to her aid. Then would come the fat cow's sisters. And then….then she'd kill Akane. With the blood of Akane's family staining her hands and clothes, she'd fight Akane. The silly little girl could never control her anger. She would lose her mind, and Shampoo would slaughter her. Shampoo's fingers itched in yearning. She wanted to strangle Akane, rip her throat out and watch as the blood streamed out. And she'd keep her alive, yeeessss, she's keep her alive. She'd make sure the blood didn't flow too quickly, make sure that the bitch didn't die too fast. Shampoo wanted to relish the moment of her final victory. She would make Akane BEG for mercy before she finally killed her. And mercy, Shampoo had very little of. She'd make Akane think she'd die quickly, perhaps even live, and then stab her over, and over, and over, and over…. And then…then Ranma would be hers, and he would love HER, and forget about the stupid cow.

Akane was feeling oddly. It felt as if her entire body was filled with emotion, with out room for bones, or muscles, or a brain, or a heart. She was filled with anger, fear, hate, and…and bloodlust. The realization startled her. It had been ages and ages since she'd lost control like this. She hadn't actually LOST control, but she'd been heading that way, and she hadn't even realized it. She was losing control, and with a surge of anger seized control of her body and mind. The emotions seemed to drain out, and what was left was a ruthless, calm, cold machine. It's intent was to kill and it would not fail. She made short work of the hindrance that was her $800 dress, by cutting slits on the sides from the floor, up to a couple of inches below her waist, so that she could kick freely without having to worry about being caught in the expensive fabric. It would not do to be lose the battle because of a silly thing like a dress. Akane surveyed her work and deemed it satisfactory, then returned her attention to the prey.

Unconsciously, deep in the back of her throat, Akane began to growl imperceptibly, as she smirked. This was her element. She had a prey, and she was the huntress. The prey knew she was there, but not where she was, and she had the advantage. This battle, this hunt, it was hers.

Soon now, soon. He was walking towards her. Silly male-cat! Walking right under her! He couldn't taste her chi, she'd masked it. He knew, he knew, so he was searching for her by smell, tracking her, stalking her. Akane laughed in her head. Silly boy-cat ! There's a reason WE are the hunters, and not your kind. Boy-cats are never as good at hunting. Don't just pay attention to the trail! You could still be being hunted, and with concentration solely on tracking, you won't sense your hunter! What a silly cat mate is. Mate! No! Boy-cat is not mate!! Boy cat is PREY!

Akane's last thought filled her with the fury that passed through her like a flaming wave, leaving frigid, arctic calm. As soon as Ranma-cat had passed in front of her, she leapt off the bars. As she plummeted towards him she brought her hand down to slash his back, while roaring her response to his challenge. Ranma whirled around at the sound, and was knocked back as Akane slashed into his bare chest, leaving four narrow, shallow gashes. He flew back and landed on his back 10 feet away. Akane, who had landed in a crouch, stood up and began to walk back and forth, waiting for Ranma to regain his feet.

Ranma groaned quietly as he sat up. He looked at his attacktress through a hazy fog before his head began to clear. She was smiling slightly, in a self-satisfied way that reminded him of the Cheshire cat, and he had the distinct impression, that she had a tail she was swishing contentedly. With a growl of anger at being knocked down, he shook his head to clear away the last vestiges of fog that had filled his head, and stood up. He lifted up his lip to growl in anger and then began his own attack. He'd show the arrogant little female, this fight was not over yet!

Ranma lunged forward, feinting a hit with his left arm, and then dropping down into a crouch, and spinning to knock her off her feet with his right leg. Akane had not lost her self-satisfied smirk, and with Ranma's growing anger, her confidence increased. She watched, in what seemed as slow-motion as Ranma's leg spun towards her. He'd made a terrible mistake. By crouching and spinning, he'd left his back wide open. The opening was supremely fast, but Akane was faster, and took advantage of it. She jumped, allowing his feet to nearly pass underneath hers, and pounced on Ranma's back. She dug her claws in quickly, rolling off, as he pitched forward into a roll, trying to get her off. The mistake could have been, WOULD have been fatal, but for one thing. Akane was playing with him. Instead of just stabbing him through the heart she had left 8 painful claw marks on his shoulders. She was winning, and taking her time savoring the fight. She stood and smiled serenely as Ranma struggled to his feet again.

"Why do you do this Akane? You know we are mates, we _belong _ together. You know this. If you cannot see it, I will make you see it!" With a furious cry Ranma attacked with renewed vigor, rushing Akane and slashing at her with his chi claws. Akane was forced into retreat and was doing her best to dodge his attacks. This went on for a good 5 minutes, Ranma on the offensive, and Akane on the defensive. Ranma's words had affected Akane though, and she was not a happy kitty. Ranma brought down his arm and was surprised to find it halted in midair.

"We-" Ranma swung his second arm.

"are _not_-" it had also been caught.

Akane threw her weight backwards, still holding Ranma's wrists.

"_MATES!"_ she screamed in the raspy, growling manner of speech the Neko-ken caused

As she fell into her roll she released Ranma's wrists and he flew over her. Akane completed the roll and stood up quickly, looking for her opponent. She'd made a mistake. She'd allowed her anger to take control of her, and now HE was the one in the position of advantage, the one shrouded in darkness. Now HE could pounce on her without warning. Akane shook her head, berating herself mentally.

-Fortunately I'm better at this than he is- she thought to herself, beginning to track Ranma. She sniffed the air delicately, and licked her lips in anticipation. It didn't matter what the prey was, just the hunt, only the hunt, the exhilarating, exciting hunt mattered. Akane's nose flared a little and then she spun around and leapt, pouncing on an un-expecting Ranma, her dress fluttering. Ranma, not expecting her attack, was bowled over, and using the momentum of her leap, continued to roll, so that he ended on top of her. Unfortunately Akane knew what he was doing, and kept the roll going, so that their positions were reversed again, with Akane sitting on a pinned Ranma.

"Now Saotome, my murderer, you get your deserved reward. At the risk sounding cliché, DIE." Akane panted out. She lifted her arm to strike when-

"If you really think I deserve to die-kill me. I don't want to live with your hate." Ranma said quietly, but forcefully, his eyes narrowed.

Akane raised her hands, chi claws bared…

A/N: This is my first really big cliffie. Sorry, but I needed to end it somewhere. And besides, now I know you'll come back and read it. Right? Please? Anyway feedback is SUPER appreciated. Thanks a lot!!

P.S. what do you guys think? Think she'll do it? She thinks he deserves it…You'll find out why later.o and also, I tried to make seperating thingis b/w the povs, but it wouldnt lemme, so im very sry, but you'll have to deal


	14. UpDaTe

Hi everybody. I know I haven't updated in forever, but I was gone most of the summer, and the first month of school was reeeely hectic. I've been re-reading my story and I've decided, while I still love the plot, the writing is weak, and at best mediocre. I'm going to edit sum things before I write chapter 14. Sorry, PLEEZ bear w.me. Hopefully chapter 14 will be up by about halfway thru nov. sry. Pleez IM me: ReBTmD1373


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